Six

by Ryan Henry, Matt Soffe (Illustrator)

Ryan Henry’s debut novel, Six, is more than just a work of survival horror fiction, and it offers more than a simple revision of the popular ‘zombie apocalypse’ motif. A book that has been under development for over a decade, Six is ultimately a rich and provocative examination of humanity’s search for meaning in a world that is bereft of hope, safety and certainty. The novel centers upon a group of resolute survivors – each of which has their own demons to slay. Father Lucas Carter, the resourceful and informal leader of the group, grapples with the disintegration of his faith in the face of society’s sudden and seemingly irrevocable collapse. Elijah Graves, a jaded, middle-aged truck driver, is haunted by the dissolution of his marriage and his estrangement from his two young sons. Maggie Nash, a hardened and short-tempered woman, secretly longs for meaningful companionship – even at the expense of her resolve. Above all, however, Maggie is determined to protect her younger sister Lucy, a recovering drug addict, from the terrifying prospect of survival in their brutal new world. Zack Hawkins – an emergency medical technician and skilled outdoorsman – carries the baggage of an unfulfilling past and a persistent inability to completely trust his companions. Along the way, the group encounters Stuart Kowalski, a skeptical and antagonistic ex-cop who is forced to confront an abhorrent childhood trauma when he reluctantly provides shelter and rations for the nomadic group of survivors. Set across the dangerous and disease-ridden landscape of rural Virginia, Six is a dynamic novel infused with an atmosphere of mounting gothic dread and uncompromising physical horror. Yet it is also a compelling character-driven drama comprised of memorable and fully realized personalities struggling to adapt and survive in a hostile world. Through their trials, the six survivors will simultaneously learn and demonstrate that the most pervasive and formidable threat of all is the cruelty of the living in a land ruled by the dead.

383 pages, ebook

First published January 1, 2011

Reviews

[Jimmy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved Six. I grew up in the area described in the book, and Ryan Henry accurately depicts several locales. The book is well researched, and the characters are fleshed out so completely, that you are drawn in to their struggle. As an aside, I've known Mr. Henry for most of my life, I was in Boy Scouts with him, and I know him to have one of the most creative minds I've ever come across, and that perfectly translates to his work. I've read more of his work, and I'm never disappointed.

[Nathanael Coyne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a big fan of zombie films but this is the first zombie novel I've read and was quite impressed especially as this is the author's first work. "Six" is a story of struggle and occasional triumph against an ever-present background of horror and sadness. It is not a happy tale and I'll admit I cried a few times but it pulls you in and you have to keep reading to find out how the group escape each sticky situation.